Notes:
The 1833 Half Eagle is an
extremely rare coin in any grade although the high mintage might suggest
otherwise. The vast majority of these coins were returned to the
Mint and remelted beginning in 1834, following a reduction in the weight
of the coins. Major varieties are determined based on the size (or
width) of the dates on the coins: they are known as Large or Small
Dates. The Large Date is the more common of the two by a factor of
3 (or more) to 1.

As of July
2003, PCGS
had graded 19 of the Large Date varieties, most of them in Uncirculated
condition, and the finest of which were 2 MS-64's. PCGS had also
graded a single Proof example of the Large Date variety (a superb PR-67
which is probably the Pittman coin illustrated above). PCGS had
also graded only six examples of the Small Date variety - 2 AU-58, and
singles of MS-60, MS-61, MS-64, MS-65.

No Proof examples of the
1833 Small Date Half Eagle are known and only two examples of the 1833
Large Date Half Eagle are known. One is a part of the National
Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution; the other is the
Pittman coin illustrated above (graded PR-67 by PCGS). In the
Pittman catalogue, David Akers noted: "At least two other
specimens purported to be Proofs have turned out to be Prooflike
business strikes." This may or may not apply to the third
Proof listed by Breen (Lot 314 in S.H. & Henry Chapman's May 10,
1893 sale of the Nicholas Petry collection).

NGC Proof-58. Ex - Bowers and
Merena Galleries "The Rarities Sale", July 31, 2002, Lot 784,
illustrated, "...Breen-6498, B-11...The fields have very light hairlines
and the devices have nearly imperceptible signs of wear...", sold for $62,100.00
This may be the Nicholas Petry specimen sold by S.H. and H. Chapman
in 1893 (see the Notes)
Sources and/or recommended
reading:
"Walter Breen's
Complete Encyclopedia Of U.S. And Colonial Coins" by Walter Breen

"The PCGS Population Report, July 2003" by The
Professional Coin Grading Service